real-racing-3_556164350_ipad_01This week it was tough to limit myself to even just 16 notable new releases, I could have easily come up with 4 or 5 more worth mentioning.

Since I have so many I want to cover, I’ll try to be brief, kicking things off with the much-anticipated third outing of Real Racing. This one has been out for a couple of weeks now in New Zealand, but tonight the rest of the world finally gets a crack at it. There has been some negativity regarding the freemium model used in the game casting a bit of a rainy cloud over the game, even before it’s been released. I suspect this one will continue to be a bit fluid while EA works out the kinks.

Speaking of EA…due to the end of EA’s publishing arrangement for Trenches II, developer Thunder Game Works is re-releasing the game themselves, unfortunately as a brand new app. So that means if you already own it, you’ll lose your current achievements and progress, but to make up for it, the game will be FREE for the first week of release. So make sure to download this during launch week as it is loads of fun.

crazy-bill_578170283_ipad_03Other free titles coming tonight include Tick Tock Toys, a neat looking puzzle game where in each level you must you must clear a path within the toy box to help Tic Toc the robot reach his goal. The first 15 levels of the game are free to try. Ivanovich Games returns this week with Crazy Bill, a not-so serious endless climber featuring zombie Elvis, zombie Spock and zombie Einstein…need I say more?

On the paid side of things we have Zen Studios’ long-awaited Star Wars Pinball tables. You can grab them now as in-app purchases within the current Zen Pinball app or wait for the official standalone app. Each of the three tables (which I already previous detailed on the site) will cost $1.99 to unlock.

At the 99¢ price point we have a number of popular returning developers and publishers vying for your attention. Indie favorites the Kieffer Bros. are back with Star Hound™, a game that is a big departure from their normal fare. It looks sort of like Canabalt with a dog and some grappling hooks and jetpacks thrown in for good measure. Next up is Ravenous Games with Gravity.Duck™, an all-new puzzle platformer in their popular retro art style, but with a new gravity flipping component. Chillingo makes an appearance with Up In Flames™, physics-based puzzle game involving an adorable fire-breathing dragon, 3-star level system and lots of unlockable costumes…it is a formula for success that has certainly served Chillingo well in the past.

toy-story-smash-it!_602288111_ipad_03Digging deeper into the dollar bin, you’ll find 8 Ball Pool™, Miniclip’s polished-looking new (you guessed it) pool game that lets you play against your friends online. Disney brings back Toy Story favorites Buzz and Woody in an all-new 3D block breaking puzzle game called Toy Story: Smash It!. While not necessarily an original game play concept, the Toy Story Universe makes this one pretty appealing. Buzz won’t be the only airborne hero tonight as the Purple Cape takes flight in his self-titled puzzle platformer from Forest Moon Games. The last of the 99¢ titles is 1001 Attempts from Everplay. This is a brilliant looking retro endurance game where players must navigate the confines of the screen, dodging various obstacles like missiles, sawblades, laser beams and more. The screenshots and description are giving me a bit of a Tilt to Live vibe, which would be really awesome.

Now for the pricier stuff…

Bulkypix’s new platformer, Penumbear is interesting for both its graphical style and the its innovative use of light and shadow. Cognition Episode 1 is the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign which not only brought the game to Mac/PC, but iPad as well. It is an episodic classic-style point and click adventure with the twist being that the main character, FBI Agnt Erica Reed, has the ability to see the past when she touches certain objects. Within the game you get to use this power to help you find clues and objects as you try to track down a killer. I’ve been playing a pre-release build and have been enjoying it this far. There is a free demo version that lets you play the first part of the story.

Switching gears to something more kid friendly than serial killers…there is Mary Engelbreit’s Doll Dress-Up: “Breitville”, which marries the toys of simpler times with technology by taking paper dolls to a whole new digital level of interactivity and with far fewer paper cuts. Dress them up and even record them moving and voiced by you for playback later.

avp-evolution_583066190_ipad_03And back to the blood, gore and violence for the final title of the night, Fox Digital Entertainment’s official AVP: Evolution mobile game developed by the folks at Angry Mob Games who previously developed the game PREDATORS™ based on Robert Rodriguez’s film of the same name. Fans of the film series and third-person brawlers will probably be quite pleased with this one!

Phew, I’ll get some trailers added to the second page of this post soon, but as always, let us know which games you’ll be picking up tonight when these (and more) new releases go live at 11pm EST.